Learning Outcomes; Course/Curriculum Design and Review

The CTL offers expertise, support, and resources to individuals and departmental groups in learning outcomes development and assessment, course and curriculum improvement, and provides assistance with the cyclical program review process. Resources and programming in this key area support the development and advancement of:

Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes are direct statements that describe the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind that students are expected to reliably demonstrate after a learning experience. Learning outcomes are described ‘as a basic educational building block’ and they provide a powerful framework to build a course/program. As such they cannot be separated from other parts of the curriculum such as assessment, and instructional strategies. At the CTL we can help you:

Course Design/Redesign Institute

The Course Design/Redesign Institute introduces the principles of course design to instructors who are developing a new course or who would like to hone their course design skills and refresh a course they’ve already taught. Participants work both individually and collaboratively over two intensive days, in a supportive environment, to design/redesign a course of their choosing.

Curriculum Design and Renewal

"Good novels, if we are ready for them transform us. Good curricula should have the same effect" -Overly & Spalding, 1993

Curriculum can be defined as a “web of interrelated and aligned activities” working together to achieve certain learning outcomes. Simply stated, curriculum is a “plan for learning” (Thijs & van den Akker, 2009). Curriculum development is a multi-step, ongoing, and cyclical process aimed at designing an effective curriculum. For some departments/units the process is initiated following a program review; for others, their interest stems from the recognition that a revitalization of their current curriculum is needed or a new program needs to be developed. If your department or school is engaging in a curriculum design or renewal, we can provide facilitation of curriculum committee meetings, guidance on establishing your unique program parameters and developing curriculum maps, and workshops to support educators in the move to a new and/or improved curriculum.

Cyclical Program Reviews (QUQAPs)

Queen’s University Quality Assurance Processes (QUQAPs) for approving and reviewing academic programs have been in effect since September 1, 2011. Cyclical Program Reviews (CPRs) are essential to ensuring quality in all academic programs, scholarship and research. CPRs provide an opportunity for academic programs to articulate or update their degree level expectations (DLEs) and discipline-specific learning outcomes. The goal is to ensure that Queen’s existing and new undergraduate, graduate and professional programs continue to offer students learning experiences that are transformational, inspiring, and intellectually challenging. At the CTL, we can provide support in completing the self-study template, which is one of the most major components of the cyclical program review. Specifically, we can offer:

support in developing/revising/reviewing your curriculum map

guidance on establishing your unique program parameters

workshops on developing effective program and course-level learning outcomes and aligning those with the degree-level expectations

assistance in developing a long-term assessment plan

support in facilitating a curriculum/cyclical program review meeting/retreat

Learning Outcomes Assessment Project

Queen's is one of a consortium of three universities (including University of Guelph and University of Toronto) and three colleges, funded by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) to assess transferable learning outcomes. Learning outcomes are statements of what a learner is expected to understand, value, or demonstrate after completion of a process of learning. The Learning Outcomes are measurable, and communicate expectations to learners about the skills, attitudes and behaviors they are expected to achieve after successful completion of a course, program or degree. Accurate assessment of learning outcomes is an essential component of competency-based education. This project aligns well with Queen’s Academic Plan, which emphasizes the development of fundamental academic skills, transferable skills that span a range of disciplines and are essential for professional practice.